Grilled Asparagus Soup with Brie Toast

Asparagus is my favorite vegetable.

When I was a kid, we never, ever had asparagus on our table. My father grew up next to an asparagus farmer during the Great Depression (my Dad is nearly 91). According to my Pop, he had asparagus for breakfast, lunch and dinner all Spring long--and well, he hasn't had a spear in 60 years.

I, on the other hand, love Asparagus--on its own in, in a salad and of course, in soup! Jersey asparagus is in-season now. I found some at Duffields last week. It is so great grilled--and you can grill one enormous batch and use it in recipes all week long. Eat on the side, pop it on a pizza and use some to make this yummy Spring soup, perfect for rainy days.

I started with a homemade veggie broth base--this time around it included leek tops, asparagus bottoms, leftover sliced tomatoes, red onion garlic, parsley stems, salt pepper, bay leaves zucchini ends and other odds and ends from my produce drawer. You can use any store bought veggie broth or even chicken broth. I would just stay away from any broth that is tomato based--I think it messes with the natural asparagus flavor.

The stuff:
2 leeks, just the light green and white parts, quartered and sliced thin
1 shallot diced
2 cloves garlic diced
3 T. butter
1 T. olive
1-2 lbs of grilled asparagus, tips cut off and reserved. Stems, diced.
6 cups broth of your choice
1 cup heavy cream


For the brie toast:
Six 1/2 slices from a fresh baguette
Six 1/4 inch slices of brie


Get to work:

1. Butter 3 T butter into 1 T olive oil
2. Add shallot and garlic, cook until soft over medium heat, about 5 minutes.
3. Add bottoms from grilled asparagus. Cook 1 minute, until warmed through
4. Add broth. Bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes.
5. While soup is simmering, preheat your broiler.
6. Place baguette, with one piece of brie on each slice under broiler. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until cheese melts and edges of bread are browned.
7. Season soup with salt and pepper. Stir in heavy cream.
6. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.
8. Stir in reserved asparagus tips.
9. Serve immediately with brie toast on top. 

Snowed-in: Macaroni and Cheese

I absolutely adore a good snowstorm. Snowstorms are the perfect opportunity to pause and be home.
Unfortunately, the latest snowstorm hit as we were about to depart for a week in Texas; stranding us at home with relatively empty cupboards.
Okay, so there is always something to toss together or grab from the freezer in my house--but, another fab thing about snowstorms is the opportunity to cook something comforting and hearty.

I gathered the ingredients for this creamy, italian-esque macaroni and cheese from my pantry and some odds and ends in the refrigerator. Perfect for a snowy day or any day when you want to pretend to be snowed in and hide out at home.

The Goods

1 lb of penne (or whatever pasta shape you've got)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 canfuls of water
2 cups mozzarella cheese shreds
1 cup cheddar cheese shreds
1 tablespoon dried garlic seasoning (I used Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic)
Non-stick cooking spray
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

For the topping:
1 cup chopped grape tomatoes OR small can of chopped tomatoes, drained
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (I always have a basil plant on my kitchen windowsill--it is a life saver!)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt/pepper

Grated locatelli or parmesan cheese

The Work

Preheat oven to 350F

Boil water and prepare pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking make cheese sauce by mixing mushroom soup, water (use the can to measure water), cheese and garlic in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until cheese melts.

Spray a 9x12 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Drain and add cooked pasta. Pour in cheese sauce and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a thin dusting of breadcrumbs. Then, spray the top with cooking spray.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

While it is baking, prepare the topping. Mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Top finished macaroni and cheese with tomato mixture and a heaping spoonful of locatelli cheese.

In Season: Squash Ravioli in Sage Brown Butter

I first laid eyes on the Kitchen Aid mixer pasta maker attachment when Mike and I were registering for wedding gifts. Frankly, it frightened me. I had visions of mangled pasta dough in a rainbow of colors stuck to the ceiling--a nightmarish scene in which the cat and I were entangled in sticky, inedible dough. There was flour everywhere and well, no one was going to eat homemade pasta anytime soon.

Seven years later and I am still without my pasta maker attachment--so a good Nana-in-training must improvise. For this ravioli recipe, you just need a package of won ton wrappers. For about $3 or less, you can get 50 of these handy little squares of dough that are perfect for wontons, dumplings and of course, homemade ravioli.

For the filling, I made use of squash puree from our Galeux d'Eysines squash. You can use any winter squash you like from butternut to pumpkin. You could even skip the fresh puree and use a can of pumpkin puree (although it won't taste as fresh!).

And the best part: you can make a bunch quickly and freeze it--it cooks up in a few minutes and makes it a great meal to bank in your freezer. This recipe yielded about 30 ravioli.

Ingredients:

1 cup squash puree

1 large egg

1/4 cup romano cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

pinch of nutmeg

Salt/Pepper

60 won ton wrappers (which is about 2 packages)

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped sage leaves

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Steps to yumminess

1. Place squash puree, egg, romano and ricotta cheese and nutmeg in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Make your ravioli, filling each with 1 heaping tablespoon of squash filling. Follow directions here (Ravioli making 101). Freeze ravioli (flat) for at least 30 minutes. You can leave any ravioli that you don't intend to cook in the freezer.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add ravioli and cook until it floats-about 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it--the ravioli will explode if you overcook.

4. While ravioli is cooking, melt butter over high heat (in a large pan). Add sage and cook until butter begins to brown and sizzle. Remove pan from heat, whisk in balsamic vinegar.

5. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove ravioli from cooking water and place directly into brown butter sauce. Serve immediately.

A fab side for Squash Ravioli: I died and went to Rouge Salad.

Techniques: Homemade Ravioli 101

Making homemade ravioli can be super fast and super impressive using store bought won ton wrappers. These handy little packages of dough squares are inexpensive.

Here are step by step instructions on filling your own, homemade ravioli.

1. Grab your won ton wrappers, a couple cookie sheets, a small bowl of water, parchment paper and the filling of your choice.

2. Line each cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. Lay out won ton wrappers in a single, non-overlapping (no touching!).

3. Then add a scoop of your filling--typically about 1 tablespoon-2 tablespoons a wrapper. Place the filling right in the center of the wrapper.

4. Moisten a finger tip with a small amount of water. Draw a line on water on the outside edge of each won ton wrapper. Just do a couple at a time (you don't want the water to dry out before you top it!

5. Then place another won ton wrapper on top, smoothing the edges right up to the filling. Try to gently smooth out any air. Moisten your finger tip again and trace along the outside of the top won ton, to seal. Continue until all raviolis are filled and sealed.

6. Place cookie sheet of completed raviolis in freezer for at least 30 minutes--the longer the better. When raviolis are frozen, you can remove from cookie sheet to cook in boiling water (3-4 minutes until floating and remove with slotted spoon) OR freeze on cookie sheet overnight and then place in freezer bags for a future meal.

Kitchen Quickie: I died and went to Rouge Salad

Back in college, Mike worked at the swanky and marvelous restaurant Rouge on Rittenhouse Square. Mike learned so much about food and I got to partake in amazing, gourmet meals. One of my favorite dishes: the Bibb and Endive salad. This salad was topped with crunchy, spicy cashews and creamy roquefort cheese. It is simple and yet tastes complex and well, to quote Lily, "fancy!"

My version of this salad pulls together in less than 5 minutes! It is a quick and sophisticated side dish--perfect for Fall meals and for company. Instead of cashews, I use pre-packaged sweet and spicy pecans from Trader Joes. I love these pecans--they retail for $3.99 in South Jersey and really add a wow to the salad. You can find various sweet/spicy nuts at your local grocery store if there is not a Trader Joes nearby.

Ingredients:

• Spring Mix (I love the versions of pre-bagged spring mix that include fresh herbs. Trader Joes has a version as does Earth's Best Organic)
• Dried cranberries
• Sweet and Spicy Pecans (from Trader Joes or substitute something you find locally!)
• Gorgonzola cheese (or you can use plain jane bleu cheese. Not a fan of the bleus, try feta)
• Balsamic Vinaigrette or, if you want to be super fancy, truffle oil and balsamic vinegar

Pile a generous handful of Spring Mix onto your salad plate. Top with a sprinkling of cranberries, pecans and cheese. Drizzle about 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette on top OR drizzle with truffle oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt/Pepper to taste.

Quichetastic Monday--Chicken and Asparagus Quiche

Of course there is a story behind my Chicken and Asparagus Quiche. I made a verison of this quiche for Lily's first birthday party in 2007. The theme: Pink Poodles in Paris (she has always been fancy!) and the menu was French inspired with quiche, Nicoise Salad and other goodies. As usual I made way too much and had to freeze one of the quiches.

The quiche did not reappear until 2 months later. Lily was at CHOP and we were living in the pediatric ICU while she recovered from a brain tumor resection. Olga, Mike's mom, was here running our lives while we fought for Lily's and making sure we ate healthy food. Being the resourceful mama that Olga is, she dug through our freezer and found the quiche.

When we ate it for dinner, reheated in the PICU communal microwave and dished up paper plates--I traveled elsewhere. In my mind we were back at Lily's very first party--back singing and celebrating and enjoying tastes of simple, delicious food.

The second time I made this quiche was for Karen--my childhood bestie. This August, I had the joy of visiting and celebrating the birth of her son, Andrew. Of course, I cooked--soup, stuffed peppers and this quiche.

The original recipe for this quiche came from a french cookbook I borrowed from my dear friend Tracy. My verison may differ slightly (I misplaced my copy of the original.). It pulls together super quick and can easily make two (you will have left over chicken and asparagus). Make two and share one with a friend!

The Stuff

1 pre-made pie crust

Asparagus--8 full spears plus 1 cup diced asparagus

1 cup of diced rostierrie chicken ( breast and thigh meat, save the extra meat for another quiche or salad; save the bones/carcus for making chicken broth)

4 eggs, beaten until frothy and fluffy

3/4 cup milk

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 T dried mustard

1cup grated swiss cheese

Salt/Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Carefully roll out pie crust into pie pan and score the bottom

3. Sprinkle diced asparagus onto bottom of pie crust. Then sprinkle diced cooked chicken.

4. Fold 1 cup milk, garlic, mustard, swiss cheese and salt/pepper into the egg mixture.

5. Pour egg/milk mixture on top of asparagus chicken. Arrange remaining asparagus spears on top of uncooked quiche

6. Bake 45 minutes or until firm and slightly browned.

Soupy nights: Autumn mushroom and wild rice soup

While dark chilly rainy days can wear on the soul, I love the potential it brings--potential for soup, tea, red wine, an afghan and a book (or a movie or some knitting or all three all at once for people like me who cannot sit still, even when sitting). It is a delicious, cuddly time of year.

This soup is super earthy and grounding. The rich broth and meaty mushrooms pull you right back down to your plate. With each hearty bite, you can taste Fall and the harvest. And it is an easy way to go meatless--the mushrooms and wild rice are super filling.

Allow about an hour to prep and cook the soup. You can use any combination of mushrooms you like--I used shitake, baby bellas, white buttons and baby petites (which I left whole). My girls helped by washing the mushrooms with a damp paper towel.

If you don't have vegetable broth, but do have chicken broth, feel free to substitute. You will find dried porcini mushrooms in or near the produce department. If you can't find porcinis, try any other dried mushroom.

Soupy stuff:

1/2 ounce dried porcinis

kosher salt/pepper

1/2 cup wild rice

EVOO, a few tablespoons

10 cups assorted mushrooms (My combo: 5 oz shitake, sliced; 8 oz, baby bellas, sliced, 6 oz baby petites, left whole; 8 white button, sliced)

3 leeks, white and pale-green parts (save the tops for broth!), quartered length wise and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup chianti

3 tablespoons soy sauce

7 cups homemade vegetable broth

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. In a sealed ziploc bag, crush up the dried procini mushrooms, until they are a coarse powder.

2. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to boil, then add a pinch of kosher salt and wild rice. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook under tender, 45-50 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large pot, heat about 1 tablespoon of EVOO over medium-high heat. Begin cooking the mushrooms in batches (1/3 at a time) with salt and pepper until browned and tender, about 7 minutes, per batches. Add more EVOO before adding a new batch of mushrooms. Set cooked mushrooms aside.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Melt butter, added sliced leeks. Cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in porcini mushroom powder, cook 1 minute. Add chianti and soy sauce, cook 1 minute more.

5. Add vegetable broth to pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, reduce heat to medium and cook 20 minutes. Stir in wild rice, heavy cream and parsley. Serve with crusty bread

Squash Soup 1: Coconut and Lemon grass

We have a bumper crop of this gorgeous heirloom squash called Galeux d'Eysines. The name means "embroidered with warts from Eysines (a small town in France). " These warts are actually produced from the sugar in the squash.

Mike grew squash because we eat it often-roasted, on salad greens and in soups. I made this fabulous Coconut and Lemon grass soup last week--the perfect transition from Summer to Fall. The coconut and lemon grass are reminiscent of a tropical, beach-y meal. There is nothing more "Fall" than creamy smooth squash.

While I used our Galeux d'Eysines, you can use any variety of winter squash or pumpkin for this soup. To make your life easy, pick up a package of pre-cut and peeled butternut squash in the produce department.

Lemon grass add a light citrus flavor to the soup, balancing the richness of the coconut milk and squash. You can find fresh lemon grass in the produce department. Find a great guide on the use of lemon grass here. I could not find fresh lemon grass, but found prepared lemon grass, in a tube, in the produce department at Wegmans. Use either option--although the tube option is quick and easy to use!

This soup cooks quick and freezes great. The recipe below serves 4. Serve with some garlic Naan or a baguette.

The ingredients:

3 cups squash--peeled, cut into 2-3" chunks (any variety, butternut, acorn, pumpkin)

1 tablespoon EVOO

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 shallot, diced

1 whole jalapeno

1 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled and diced

1-2 stalks of fresh lemon grass, yellow/fleshy section, chopped OR 2 tablespoons of prepared lemon grass (in a tube, source: Wegman's produce department)

15 oz can of coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

Fresh cilantro

Get soup-y

Preheat oven to 400F. Place squash chunks in a large baking dish, toss with olive oil and salt/pepper.

Bake for 30 minutes or until it is soft, with some brown caramelized edges.

After squash is cooked, remove form oven and put aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Add to butter shallots and ginger, cooking over medium heat and stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until shallots are translucent and ginger is fragrant.

Add WHOLE jalapeno and lemon grass, stir. Cook 2-3 more minutes.

Add cooked squash, stir.

De-glaze the pan with can of coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove jalapeno.

Using an immersion blender, puree in pot until smooth. Or, puree in a blender in batches.

Top with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

Eggplant Prep--salt, sweat and rinse

A common complaint amongst eggplant or aubergine lovers is the sometimes bitter flavor.

Most smaller varieties of eggplant (japanese, fairy tale, etc) do not become bitter when cooked. The larger eggplant varieties can be bitter. (The seeds contain something related to the tobacco plant that produces that bitter flavor when cooked).

To reduce and avoid bitter taste, slice and salt the eggplant (using kosher salt). Let the salted eggplant sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The eggplant slices will "sweat" and then you can rinse the slices, removing the bitter flavor.

Salting and sweating the eggplant will also reduce the amount of oil absorbed when frying or sautéing. It is a quick, fabulous step that will ensure the rich flavor of the eggplant shines through!

Triple mini tomato bruschetta

Tomato bruschetta was the first grown up dish I learned to make. Over the years, I've played with my recipe a bit and finally, I think I've stumbled on the most brilliant variation using food from the season.

I am absolutely loving the variety of summer tomatoes. You will love this triple mini tomato bruschetta made a mixture of yellow grape tomatoes, purple cherry tomatoes and red teardrop tomatoes. The variety of mini tomatoes infuse this bruschetta with sunshine and soil. It is absolutely fantastic. Bruschetta is great on fresh bread or use to top a salad, as a no-cook pasta sauce or on chicken or fish.

The good stuff:

About 1 pint--mixed variety of mini tomatoes (grape, cherry, teardrop), cut into quarters

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup of fresh basil leaves, snipped/chopped into thin strips

1/4 cup EVOO

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Kosher Salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

2 baguettes, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces

Mix tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, EVOO, vinegar and salt/pepper (to taste). You can serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with sliced baguettes.

Weekend meals: World's Best Chicken & Shrimp Skewers with Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

We've had a fair share of weekend company this summer and since our patio is bigger than our dining room, I always want to grill. This dinner is so easy--just takes some advance cutting and marinating. The cooking time is short and with veggies, chicken and shrimp--there is something for everyone to enjoy!

Serve it up with fresh corn-on-the-cob and maybe my Triple mini tomato bruschetta . If there are any leftovers--make salads or sandwiches the next day.

Chicken and Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch chunks

1 lb peeled/deveined raw shrimp (medium to large in size)

4 cloves garlic--shaved across a micro-plane to make a paste

4 lemons-juice and zest

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons of fresh herbs, chopped (I typically use basil and parsley--but use what you have)

Salt/pepper

Mix garlic, lemon, oil, herbs and s/p in a large bowl.

Put the chicken and shrimp into separate large ziploc bags (or tupperware containers). Pour half of the marinade into each ziploc bag. Place in refrigerator and marinade for 30 minutes-1 hour. Don't marinade too long--the citrus cooks the chicken and shrimp.

Thread chicken and shrimp onto skewers. Don't mix--the shrimp takes about 5 minutes to grill and the chicken slightly longer. Grill over medium-high heat outside (or inside on a grill pan). Place chicken on first--after about 3 minutes, add the shrimp. Grill both until cooked about 10 minutes for chicken and 5 minutes for the shrimp.

Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

Ingredients:

You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand--this was what was in my veggie drawer.

2 eggplant--sliced 1/4" (see note about salting and rinsing eggplant)

1 zucchini--sliced long way, 1/4" thick

1 yellow summer squash-slice long way, 1/4" thick

1 red onion-sliced 1/4" rings

2 red peppers-quartered

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt/pepper

1 cup feta cheese

Place vegetables in a large plastic bag or dish. Pour vinegar and oil over vegetables and toss to coat. Add s/p to taste. You can let the vegetables marinate or grill immediately.

Grill over medium heat on stove top (in grill pan) or outdoor grill. Grill in batches, cooking about 2 minutes per side. Vegetables are done when slightly softened and caramelized on both sides. Removed cooked vegetables to a platter. When all vegetables are cooked, top with feta cheese and serve immediately.

In a pickle: garlic-dill pickles

I am a pickle fiend. When I was turning 9, I begged my Dad to bring me home a large vat of pickles from Southampton Estates (where he worked as an overnight security guard). He did and I ate those hamburger dills until I was ill. My Nana always put out a pickle and olive tray with dinner. Nana typically included Heinz sweet gerkins. Yum. Sometimes she would include her homemade Bread and Butter pickles-which are sweet and sour and simply perfect.

Mike and I met in high school. One day after school, I tried a batch of his Grandma Rudko's pickles. Those pickles were soaked in a garlic-dill brine and topped with oak leaves (so old school and marvelous!). After one bite I decided that I would marry Mike--if only to get more of those pickles.

I love our shared family tradition of pickling. Mike's Uncle Vic cans pickles every year--and now, so do we. Mike and I have played with many recipes and finally, I think we came up with our own version of garlic-dills. This year Lily helped me the first batch.

The best part of pickling is working together. Lily is a pro at packing the pickles and pretty good company as she serenades me with whatever song is stuck in her brilliant little head!

You can use any size pickling cucumbers (which are available at farm stands and markets all over this time of year. It seems the small pickles can be hard to find--so sometimes I make batches of spears or chips (if I can't find enough small whole pickles to fill a jar).

As you jar these up, if you run out of brine, just make more. This yielded about 4 quarts and 6 pints. Have enough supplies to make more than you think! Pickles are such fun gifts during the holidays--we pass out to neighbors, friends, teachers and anyone who mentioned that they love pickles!

If you aren't up for the whole canning process--you could halve the recipe and just make this pickles in your refrigerator.

Ingredients:

Pickling Cucumbers (4-5 pounds), washed

6 tablespoons kosher salt

4 1/2 cups water

4 cups white vinegar

2 large bunches of dills, washed

2 bulbs of white garlic-cloves separated, peeled

Mustard Seed

Bay leaves--a bunch

The process:

1. Wash, clean and sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings. If you need more instructions on how-to can, take a peak at the Ball website.

2. Fill your sink or a large basin with ice and water. Place cucumbers in ice bath. They will soak in ice bath for about 10-20 minutes, while you get everything else together. The ice bath helps ensure a crispy pickle. You can soak the cucumbers whole and then if you want to cut into spears or chips, do so right before you pack the jars.

3. Combine salt, water and vinegar (this will be the pickling brine) in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Heat water in your canning pot (or, we use a large pasta pot for processing).

4. While the brine and processing water heat, pack your jars. Place whole or cut cucumbers into jars--filling in the larger spaces with cucumbers (it is sort of like a puzzle). Leave 1/4 inch of head space.

5. To each jar add: 2 full stalks of dill, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon mustard seed and 3-4 cloves garlic.

6. Fill each jar with hot brine, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

7. Cap and process 15 minutes in boiling water.

Store pickles in a cold dark place (like your basement or pantry). Label and date!

Fresh Tomato Tart

I think garden fresh tomatoes are quite possibly manna from heaven. I love all the varieties--especially the heirloom tomatoes Mike grew this year. I can't stop myself from popping the tiny teardrop tomatoes in my mouth (every five seconds, like they are candy) and from slicing up the larger beefsteak varieties, topped with salt and pepper. I am always on the search for new delicious ways to use up our crop.

I missed the boat on Quiche-tastic Monday this week, so I had some extra pie crusts. I've always wanted to make a Tomato Tart--it sounds so French. This tart is so easy--it takes minutes to put together and about 20 minutes to bake. Serve it along side a green salad and it is a perfect meal!

The goods:

Refrigerated pie crust (or make your own)

2 tablespoons hot or dijon mustard (I used Nance's Hot mustard; but a good dijon would be great)

2 medium-sized tomatoes

handful (about 6) teardrop, grape or other small tomato

Salt/Pepper

1 garlic clove, sliced extra thin

Dozen fresh basil leaves, sliced

4 oz goat cheese

Olive Oil

Make it:

1. Preheat oven to 450F

2. Roll out pie crust into a tart pan. Pitch the sides to make a nice edge.

3. Evenly spread mustard onto bottom of tart crust. Let sit while you slice tomatoes--medium tomatoes should be sliced into 1/8 inch slices; small tomatoes, slice into thirds.

4. Evenly distribute larger tomato slices on bottom of pie crust. Fill in any gaps with the small tomatoes.

5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, basil and garlic slices

6. Slice goat cheese (it won't slice neatly like other hard cheeses) and distribute on top of the tomatoes and herbs.

7. Drizzle a little olive oil on top. Bake for about 20 minutes.

8. Let sit for 5 minutes and slice. This is great room temperature or even cold.

Quiche-tastic Monday: Ham & Cheddar Frittata

I know a frittata is it's own beast and is perhaps closer to an omelette than a quiche. But in spirit, it is still an "egg pie" and a delicious option for breakfast (or lunch or dinner!).

Frittata's look super impressive; but cook up super quick. Like a quiche, you can fill them with anything. I used what I had--some leftover deli ham from a picnic on the beach, cheddar cheese (a staple) and parsley from my herb garden.

I made this for my in-law's last morning in town. Served with some cantaloupe--it is the perfect meal for company. Frittata's are great reheated too--make one on Sunday and have the leftovers for a quick breakfast before your work day.

The goods:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup of deli ham diced (this equals about 8 slices)

6 eggs, beaten until light yellow and fluffy (use an immersion blender, takes 2 minutes!)

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon hot mustard (or dijon)

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook it:

1. Preheat the oven to Broil.

2. In an oven proof skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Tilt the skillet so the melted butter coats the sides and bottom of the skillet.

3. Add the diced ham to the skillet and let cook until crispy at the edges (my mom always called this "frizzled ham," because the ham would curl up at the edges). This should take 1-2 minutes.

4. Add parsley, mustard and salt and pepper to beaten eggs.

5. Pour egg mixture into the skillet with ham. Egg mixture should evenly coat the bottom of the pan.

6. Cook over medium heat until the bottom is set, about 5 minutes.

7. When the bottom is set, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Place skillet in oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the frittata. It is finished when the top sets and gets all yummy and bubbly.

8. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut frittata into wedges and serve.

Pattypan Squash and Zucchini butter bake

The thing I love most about squash is the variety. There are hundreds of varieties. My first favorite has always been acorn squash--cut in half and baked with butter, salt and pepper, until it melts. Or butternut squash roasted and made into a smooth, hearty soup. And then there is spaghetti squash--which is divine when prepared like pasta.

My new farmer's market find is the Pattypan squash. I've seen this little summer squashes before the grocery store--typically about an inch in diameter. The pattypan squash I found was gigantic in comparison; about 5 inches across. It sat in my refrigerator while I obsessed about what to do with it. One crazy Wednesday night (Lily has horseback riding and then I teach), I came up with this delicious butter bake as a side dish for vegetarian sloppy joes (Morning Star crumbles plus sloppy joe sauce).

This recipe is so easy and the squash melts like butter in your mouth. Feel free to substitute any summer squash and to use whatever herbs you have on hand.

The goods:

1 medium to large Patty pan Squash or a handful of small patty pan squash, sliced thin

1 small zucchini, sliced thin

4 tablespoons ghee or melted butter

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

kosher salt

black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh herbs--parsley, chives, basil and cilantro

The cooking:

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a baking dish, begin layering as follows:

Pattypan & Zucchini, (to cover the bottom of the pan)

a sprinkle of garlic

a tablespoon of herbs

a tablespoon-ish of butter

Keep layering and top with any remaining butter.

Bake for 20 minutes (or until soft and buttery).

Nana Spotlight: Baking Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies with Olga

There are few things more precious than baking

chocolate chip cookies with your Grammy. Lily got the delicious treat of baking with her Grammy (a Nana-extraordinaire!) today. On the menu: delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies and memories for a lifetime.

Grammy (or Olga, my mother-in-law) is a wonderful cook. While my Nana, mother and father all influenced my culinary loves, Olga really taught me how to cook. I learned by watching and asking and helping. She has taught me to love food--appreciate the flavors and textures. She has also taught me how to make something out of nothing. All you have is a lime and some steak--well, how about fajitas? Some stale bread--make some french toast that puts room service to shame. Olga exposed me to all the best gear for cooking--from herb snips to the perfect cork screw--the things that inspire me to add more herbs and drink more wine.

I could write a book about Olga--an official Nana (to 5 fabulous kids) and a master home cook!

The recipe below is wonderful! The cookies are light and crispy and chocolately. Lily and Grammy mixed the batch in a beautiful heirloom bowl--the same bowl that Olga's mother, Grandma Rudko, used to mix bread and cookies. There is history in that bowl--and when we eat something mixed in that bowl--we share in the history of the Rudko family.

Bake these cookies with your favorite Nana (or Nana-in-training!)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups rolled oats

9 oz chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, cream shortening, brown sugar and white sugar. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.

3. Combine the baking soda, salt and flour and stir into creamed mixture.

4. Add oatmeal and chocolate chips and stir until well blended

5. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Quiche-tastic Monday: Nacho Quiche

I am a complete sucker for Nachos. No matter how I try to avoid junk food--I just can't go without loaded nachos once in while. I love the cheese, the salty chips and the spicy peppers. Yum!

This quiche is a fabulous fill-in for nachos. It has a crunchy corn tortilla crust, spicy jalapenos, creamy cheese, hearty black beans and flavor out the wazoo. Serve it up with your favorite nacho toppings-fresh avocado, pico de gallo and hot sauce.

Like every one of my quiche recipes--make two-eat one now and freeze the other for later.

The stuff

Cooking Spray

6 corn tortillas

1 cup of cooked black beans

4 eggs, beaten until they are frothy

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon no fat sour cream

1 medium jalapeno

1 1/2 T. fresh cilantro

2 green onions, diced

8 black olives, diced; plus 1 whole olive

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Canola Oil (just a bit)

The crust

Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray. Arrange 5 corn tortillas around the outside of pie plate, overlapping. Place last corn tortilla in the middle. Spread black beans evenly on the bottom on the pie plate (on top of tortilla crust.

Get cooking

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Slice eight thin slices of jalapeno. Remove seeds. Reserve slices for later. Dice up remaining jalapeno.

3. Beat 4 eggs, by hand until pale yellow and frothy. You want to add air to the eggs--this could take 5-10 minutes (it is a fabulous arm workout, like yoga in the kitchen). Beat in

the sour cream and then the milk.

4. Fold into the egg mixture: diced jalapeno, 1/2 cup of the cheddar, all the monterey jack cheese, cilantro, diced black olives and green onions. Add salt and pepper to season.

5. Pour egg mixture on top of black beans in tortilla crust.

6. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Evenly place 8 slices of jalapenos around the outside edge of the quiche. Put a black olive in the center.

7. Brush the exposed outside edges of the crust with canola oil (will help it to brown instead of burn!)

8. Bake for about 40 minutes or until quiche is set. If edges of crust burn too quickly, just cover with foil.

Enjoy!

Quiche-tastic Monday: Go greek with zucchini and feta

Zucchinis are abundant this time of year. It is a versatile summer squash--but so often I buy a bunch and I am left wondering what to make. One of besties, Rachel, always has an abundance of zucchini from her backyard garden. Rachel came over for lunch today, so I thought I'd give a zucchini quiche a try.

This yummy and summery quiche is filled with fresh zucchini, carmelized onions, fresh tomato and topped with feta cheese. I love feta cheese--it reminds me of a trip I took to Lesvos, Greece. The island was bursting with tomatoes, zucchini and feta. It seemed every meal included a sprinkling of this distinctive cheese (and a gallon of Ouzo).

And like all my quiche recipes--make two at a time and freeze the second--makes for a great meal in a week.

The stuff

2 small zucchinis

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 eggs, beaten until they are frothy

1 cup whole milk

1 1/2 T. mixed fresh herbs, chopped ( I used a mixture of parsley, chives, marjoram, basil and mint--use what you have)

1 teaspoon of dried dill

4 cherry tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Crust: make your own OR be lazy like me and use the pre-made kind from the refrigerated section of the grocery store OR go crustless, just spray your pie pan with olive oil before baking.

Get cooking

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Slice eight rounds of zucchini (about 1/8- 1/4 inch thick). Reserve for later.

3. Grate remaining zucchini using a hand grater (it grates up super fast.) Place in a colander and press with a bar mop or paper towels to squeeze out excess moisture.

4. Melt butter in skillet over low-medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook until caramelized (translucent and caramel-y brown at the edges) about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Beat 4 eggs, by hand until pale yellow and frothy. You want to add air to the eggs--this could take 5-10 minutes (it is a fabulous arm workout, like yoga in the kitchen)

6. Carefully unroll your pie crust into a pie pan. Pinch the edges. Indent the bottom of the crust with a fork (let's steam escape).

7. Stir 1 cup milk, shredded zucchini, fresh herbs, dried dill and salt/pepper into beaten eggs. Pour into crust.

8. Top with caramelized onions. Then arrange 8 reserved zucchini slices along the outside edge of the quiche. Arrange the 8 pieces of cherry tomato on the inside ring of the quiche, seed side down.

9. Evenly sprinkle feta cheese on top.

10. Bake for about 45 minutes or until quiche is set. If edges of crust burn too quickly, just cover with foil.

And of course, Eat it!

Garden Girl: Thai-inspired Sunday dinner

It has been a produce inspired weekend! I love this time of year--meal options are endless with so much in season. I picked up these gorgeous Fairy Tale Eggplants. I could not resist their purple and white stripes and I was enticed by the name. Then, Lily and I harvested Mike's crop of edamame from our backyard garden. So, what to make?

I had no idea what to do with the Fairy Tale Eggplant, so I googled and found a fabulous blog (called Figs with Bri, totally worth a follow!) and

a super yummy recipe for a Vegetarian Thai inspired dinner with Fairy Tale Eggplant, Red Curried Tofu, Basmati Rice and Green Beans.

The meal was amazing. I swapped out the green beans and steamed fresh edamame instead (in the pod, sprinkled with kosher salt). The Fairy Tale Eggplant was super tender and delicious with honey, soy sauce, ginger and serrano pepper. (I am addicted!). The curried tofu was easy to make (I used extra firm, versus firm and dusted the outside of the tofu with pan-searing flour before cooking) and satisfying. The sides of

rice and edamame rounded out the meal perfectly.

It was definitely a 4-pot meal--but it cooked up quickly. I used Uncle Ben's Ready Rice-Basmati, instead of making my own. It tastes great and takes about 2 minutes to warm up.

And there were enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Check out the recipe here.

Summer in a seashell: Beer Clams

I grew up going to the Jersey shore every summer and with stories of my Father's childhood at the beach. We would always dig for clams as the tide went out at sunset. I was not a fan of eating seafood then--but I loved the thrill of finding a clam under the sand. It was magical.

Now I adore seafood. Clams remind me of summers at the beach--like last year's family vacation with our close friends. We went to Ocean City and had an amazing time. My favorite meal: the night we got steamed clams and other yummy seafood takeout and ate it on the deck of our rental home. Fresh steamed clams taste of the beach; steam them in beer and they are summer in seashell.

Clams are so super easy to make and the final product is awesome. My husband is firm believer that everything is better with beer. I ignored my normal inclination to use white wine and tossed in a can of Yuengling lager instead.

You can pick up fresh clams at your grocery store or local seafood market. Try to avoid buying a pre-bagged batch--instead ask for a fresh bag (that way they can sort through the batch for you, making sure all the clams you get are good). Make sure the clams can breathe-ensure the plastic bag is open at the top. Pop the clams in your refrigerator until you are ready to steam.

I made 3 dozen clams for two of us and it was plenty. However the broth makes enough to steam about 6 dozen clams. Pick little neck or cherrystone clams--the smaller clams are more tender.

The goods:

6 dozen cherrystone or little neck clams (or less, depending on your crew)

Olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 of a small sweet onion, chopped

Handful (like 5 or 6) cherry tomatoes, chopped

Handful of fresh parsley (like 5 springs, coarsely chopped)

1 bottle of Yuengling lager

1 baguette

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

The work:

1. Place the clams in a bowl of cold water. Under running water, use a brush or a bar mop to scrub the grit of each clam. Place cleaned clams in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Swirl some olive oil in a heavy duty pot. I used my cast iron dutch oven. You can use anything with a lid-a skillet, a pasta pot, whatever you have-it will work. Heat the olive oil on medium heat.

3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the heated oil. Stir constantly until fragrant and to avoid burning--about 2 minutes. Add the onion and tomatoes. Stir and cook for another 1 minute.

4. Add the parsley and stir. Then de-glaze the pan with the bottle of beer. Turn the heat up and put the lid on the pot.

5. Once the broth is boiling, turn down the heat to medium.

6. Add your clams, one at a time, making a single layer of clams. Put the lid on. Let them steam, maybe about 5 minutes. As the clams open up completely, transfer from the pot with a slotted spoon to a serving platter and cover with foil. If you leave the cooked clams in too long, they become tough and overcooked.

7. Add more raw clams as you remove the cooked ones. Serve with melted butter and excess broth on the side (for dipping your fresh baguette!)